The city of Boise, Idaho estimates its annual cost for repairs due to vandalism at around $54,000. The Canadian province of British Columbia describes their vandalism costs as "in the tens of millions." Can you imagine what that number must be for the entire United States of America? With self-control and a fresh respect for the property of others, we could redirect a billion dollars into other worthy causes. People make things and then have to re-make them because of selfish, careless acts.
Our God is the Maker of heaven and earth. He is also their Re-Maker. Peter reminds us that the One who spoke the universe into place and formed this formless planet will one day have to demolish them and put new ones in their place. The sins of humanity have vandalized God's marvelous creation, and its re-making is also described as an act of judgment against the marring of evil. (v. 12,13)
As we stand in the midst of a sin-vandalized world destined for divine replacement, how ought we to conduct ourselves? What does life look like between the making and the re-making? For some, their lives as vandals will continue. They will continue to scoff at God, mock His truth and twist the Scriptures. They will deface the image of God and spray paint over the words of life, all to serve their own selfish desires. But those with self-control who respect the property of God will live differently. They will preserve and protect the sayings of the prophets and apostles and of the Lord Jesus Himself. (v. 2) They will live holy and godly lives (v.11) and pursue "peaceful lives that are pure and blameless." (v. 14) They will remain on guard and sure-footed as they traverse the rubble of vandalism. Between the making and the re-making, these will "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (v. 18)
And what will the Lord be doing in between His creative and re-creative work? He will be being patient for the sake of the vandals. "He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent." (v. 9) "the Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved." (v. 15)
May the time afforded by the patience of God be filled with His unaltered Word and unfettered Spirit. May it be filled with the exemplary lives of growing Christians drawing many to lay down the tools of their vandalism and in repentance, take up the cross of Christ.
Pray: Thank you, Lord, for your patience. Thank you for reserving your judgment for some time in the future so that many might turn from their selfishness and toward their Savior. Help me to be one of the pure and godly; one who can be used as a tool in Your patient renewal process.
November 28 - 2 Peter 2:1-22 - You Are a Slave to Whatever Controls You
Do you know about the debate over "a carrot on a stick" versus "a carrot or a stick?" I had only been exposed to the image of a carrot dangling from a stick in front of an animal to lure it forward. Apparently, this image has been challenged, said to come from a mishearing of the latter phrase which proposes reward incentive or punishment incentive. The carrot is the reward and the stick (presumably for whipping) is the punishment. If this debate arose in English, I could even see where the "r" in "or" might be written in such a way as to be mis-read as an "n." The first phrase may have been born out of a sloppy rendering of the second.
Whichever phrase you believe is the 'correct' one, they both paint a pretty good picture of control. Some people are motivated by fear (the stick). Whenever fear pops up, that person turns in another direction, and so, fear becomes the thing that steers them. Some people are motivated by satisfaction. Whenever something shows up that they imagine will satisfy a desire, they pursue it. Again, the steering is done by the 'satisfier.' The scare or the lure takes control. Our text today says, "You are a slave to whatever controls you." Many are slaves to fear; others enslaved by their desires.
Peter observed that many of the false teachers of his day were slaves to greed and lust. These false teachers found that they could manipulate those who sat under their teaching. They were able to warp and deliver their lessons in such a way as to gain money or sex from their students. A good read is Richard J. Foster's book The Challenge of the Disciplined Life, which deals specifically with the lure of money, sex and power. These are good measuring rods to use when assessing a pastor-teacher-evangelist. What appears to be their approach to the use of power, their emphasis on wealth, their moral character? If there is a hint of manipulation, greed or licentiousness in their teachings, steer clear.
And what about us? What controls us? Is their something in our life that steers us with it's influence, either positive or negative? What, if dangled in front of us, will almost surely seize our attention and powerfully draw us in its direction, away from every other direction? Whatever or whoever can control us like that is our Master. We are slave to it.
Notice that Peter begins his letter by calling himself the "servant" of Jesus Christ. His friend, Paul, starts his epistles in similar fashion, calling himself a "bond-servant" or a "slave" of the Lord Jesus. Their 'carrot' is the Christ. The controlling factor in their lives is the Holy Spirit of God. The great and precious promises and the divine mandates drive them forward.
There is great reward for those who remain faithful; faithful to receive, obey and impart the true teaching of the Word. Shunning fear and greed and lust, let us all press on toward the prize of the upward call of Christ Jesus. He is the true teacher. He is the Truth.
Pray: Teach me, O Lord, all the great promises of your Word and direct me with Your commands. Sustain me as a student and follower, a disciple, by your Holy Spirit. May my only fear be reverent awe of You. May my greed and lust be transformed into an insatiable desire to know You and to do Your will. You are my priceless reward.
November 27 - 2 Peter 1:1-21 - Adding It All Up
Sarah Pardee married William Winchester in 1862. Winchester was the manufacturer of the "Gun that Won the West," the Winchester repeating rifle. When William died, Sarah became the heiress to a 20 million dollar estate. Sadly, the death of her husband came soon after the death of their infant daughter, Annie, a loss that had thrown Sarah into a deep depression. In this severe state of grief, Sarah sought out advice from a medium whose strange assessment and counsel for Mrs. Winchester's depression initiated the building of what is now known as The Winchester Mystery House. A small eight-room Victorian in San Jose, California became a sprawling mansion containing 160 rooms, 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, 47 fireplaces, 13 bathrooms, and 6 kitchens. Briefly put, the construction of the house was supposed to preserve the life of Mrs. Winchester. As long as the building work continued, Sarah's life would continue also.
Of course, building a house is NOT the way to eternal life. Sarah Winchester died and her legacy is one of sad superstition and spiritism. Rather than adding windows and doors and other architectural elements, today's text suggests we build more meaningful elements into our lives. Peter writes ...
"make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love."
Just like a construction project, one phase builds on the previous.
Begin with the foundation of faith. Sink the cornerstone of Christ and let everything else in your life rest upon Him. Christ can be the basis for everything because He has shown Himself to be so good. Imitate His goodness. And after committing yourself to a life of good, commit yourself to study to learn more about your great, good God. This is the knowledge we add. And as we add knowledge of His Word, pride can sneak in with its Pharasaism. So the next phase of building must be self-control. We must know how to use that knowledge wisely and under the Spirit's control.
Faith, goodness and knowledge under divine control is a manner of living that must be persevered in. Can't live like that short-term or in spurts; we must persevere. With an enduring character like this, we begin to reveal God to others. Godliness comes and adorns the structure of our lives. Then, even as God acted in the best interest of others with mercy and generosity, so too will we demonstrate His affection toward others. A life constructed like this becomes other-oriented. And the ultimate expression of this Christ-like lifestyle is true 'agape,' self-sacrificing love.
Unlike the misguided counsel of a Boston medium to a vulnerable Sarah Winchester, this building program from the letter of Peter will indeed lead to eternal life.
Pray: Builder of the Universe, help me to fashion a life worthy of your goodness and mercy toward me. Guide me away from false prophecy and hollow counsel and found me firmly in your Word and Spirit. Take me through the phases that will produce a life that reflects keenly my Architect.
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| Sarah Winchester's Obsession |
Of course, building a house is NOT the way to eternal life. Sarah Winchester died and her legacy is one of sad superstition and spiritism. Rather than adding windows and doors and other architectural elements, today's text suggests we build more meaningful elements into our lives. Peter writes ...
"make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love."
Just like a construction project, one phase builds on the previous.
Begin with the foundation of faith. Sink the cornerstone of Christ and let everything else in your life rest upon Him. Christ can be the basis for everything because He has shown Himself to be so good. Imitate His goodness. And after committing yourself to a life of good, commit yourself to study to learn more about your great, good God. This is the knowledge we add. And as we add knowledge of His Word, pride can sneak in with its Pharasaism. So the next phase of building must be self-control. We must know how to use that knowledge wisely and under the Spirit's control.
Faith, goodness and knowledge under divine control is a manner of living that must be persevered in. Can't live like that short-term or in spurts; we must persevere. With an enduring character like this, we begin to reveal God to others. Godliness comes and adorns the structure of our lives. Then, even as God acted in the best interest of others with mercy and generosity, so too will we demonstrate His affection toward others. A life constructed like this becomes other-oriented. And the ultimate expression of this Christ-like lifestyle is true 'agape,' self-sacrificing love.
Unlike the misguided counsel of a Boston medium to a vulnerable Sarah Winchester, this building program from the letter of Peter will indeed lead to eternal life.
Pray: Builder of the Universe, help me to fashion a life worthy of your goodness and mercy toward me. Guide me away from false prophecy and hollow counsel and found me firmly in your Word and Spirit. Take me through the phases that will produce a life that reflects keenly my Architect.
November 26 - 1 Peter 4:7-4:6 - It Is No Shame To Suffer for Being a Christian
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
14 So be happy when you are insulted for being a Christian, for then the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you. 15 If you suffer, however, it must not be for murder, stealing, making trouble, or prying into other people’s affairs. 16 But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!
November 25 - 1 Peter 3:8-4:6 - A Completely 'Other' Way of Living
8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind.
Sympathize with each other.
Love each other as brothers and sisters.
Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.
9 Don’t repay evil for evil.
Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you.
Instead, pay them back with a blessing.
That is what God has called you to do,
and he will bless you for it.
Sympathize with each other.
Love each other as brothers and sisters.
Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.
9 Don’t repay evil for evil.
Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you.
Instead, pay them back with a blessing.
That is what God has called you to do,
and he will bless you for it.
November 24 - 1 Peter 2:11-3:7 - Do the Right Thing Even When It Hurts
21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.
22 He never sinned,
nor ever deceived anyone.
23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
who always judges fairly.
24 He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
nor ever deceived anyone.
23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
who always judges fairly.
24 He personally carried our sins
in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
and live for what is right.
November 23 - 1 Peter 1:13 -2:10 - Holy, Holy, Holy
15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
November 22 - 1 Peter 1:1-12 - Faith with Love Brings Joy and Hope
8 Though you have not seen [Jesus], you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
November 21 - James 5:1-20 - Praise From One Who Prays
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
November 20 - James 4:1-17 - Whose Pleasure Is It For Anyway?
Thanksgiving is such a wonderful holiday. I've had some special opportunities attached to Thanksgiving. I have had the pleasure of being raised with a thankful family that introduced me to the traditional turkey-stuffing-cranberry sauce-pumpkin pie feast, sometimes at our house and sometimes at grandparents' place. I've had the childlike joy of being in the press at Central Park West for the Macy's Parade. One Thanksgiving we celebrated with the Kobayashi's in their classic Japanese dining room with sunken seating and rice paper panels. The menu was Japanese-American as well. In New England our family tradition became to invite anyone from our church who didn't have family in the area to come eat with us. And this year, we ate Thanksgiving on the beach, just south of the Santa Monica pier! Without a doubt, the most blessed Thanksgiving was in 1985, when our youngest daughter came into the world. Happy Birthday, Angel!
Unfortunately, there is a sad piece to Thanksgiving, the piece where so many treat it as "Thankfulness Day" and not Thanksgiving Day. You see, to me, being thankful means being happy about one's circumstances; of appreciating one's advantages and possessions. Thankfulness is a state of being or a condition. "Thanksgiving" is an act; an act of communicating gratitude to the One who is the source of my blessed circumstances, advantages and possessions. Being thankful must lead to giving thanks. As James said in the first chapter - "Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father ..." If only more thankfulness would result in worshipful thanksgiving.
Today's text deals with people who aren't even satisfied with what they have. They want more, and they'll do what it takes to get it. They will even resort to violence. This is craziness. James says, "You don't have what you want because you haven't asked God for it." What a concept! Ask God. Have we considered how much quarreling, fighting and war could be eliminated from our lives if we would learn to pray? Wow - the opposite of war isn't peace, it's prayer! It's the contrast between an action and a condition again. War is an action. Sometimes it produces a kind of peace, but usually that peace comes as a vanquishing or exhausting of our opponent. That's not the best kind of peaceful condition - one that comes out of the destruction or defeat of another. But let us wage prayer like we wage war. Prayer is the action that stands opposite war's violent action. The peace of prayer comes not from destruction but from reconciliation. The best kind of peace - where all parties win!
To give thanks and pursue prayer unto peace is pleasing to God. Seek to please God first and foremost. Everything that pleases God is also a blessing to humanity. He knows what's best for us. HE is best for us. To please God is to participate in and enjoy God's pleasure. And there is no better pleasure than God's pleasure. It's not a matter of Him getting His or me getting mine. It isn't either-or; it's both-and.
To grasp and apply this requires humility. The proud will be thankful but never give thanks. The proud will pursue their selfish desires and do whatever it takes to attain them. The proud will continue to quarrel and fight and wage war. And God will oppose the proud but give grace to the humble. The humble will pray and prioritize the pleasure of God. They will draw near to God, and God will draw near to them. They shall be the friends of God.
Pray: God of grace and all good gifts, humble me. Remove every bit of self-centeredness from me and every tendency to fight for my own self-satisfaction. Make me a prayer warrior. And make me a pleasure for You to behold. And thank you, my Father. Thank you for everything You have blessed me with. You are generous beyond description.
Unfortunately, there is a sad piece to Thanksgiving, the piece where so many treat it as "Thankfulness Day" and not Thanksgiving Day. You see, to me, being thankful means being happy about one's circumstances; of appreciating one's advantages and possessions. Thankfulness is a state of being or a condition. "Thanksgiving" is an act; an act of communicating gratitude to the One who is the source of my blessed circumstances, advantages and possessions. Being thankful must lead to giving thanks. As James said in the first chapter - "Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father ..." If only more thankfulness would result in worshipful thanksgiving.
Today's text deals with people who aren't even satisfied with what they have. They want more, and they'll do what it takes to get it. They will even resort to violence. This is craziness. James says, "You don't have what you want because you haven't asked God for it." What a concept! Ask God. Have we considered how much quarreling, fighting and war could be eliminated from our lives if we would learn to pray? Wow - the opposite of war isn't peace, it's prayer! It's the contrast between an action and a condition again. War is an action. Sometimes it produces a kind of peace, but usually that peace comes as a vanquishing or exhausting of our opponent. That's not the best kind of peaceful condition - one that comes out of the destruction or defeat of another. But let us wage prayer like we wage war. Prayer is the action that stands opposite war's violent action. The peace of prayer comes not from destruction but from reconciliation. The best kind of peace - where all parties win!
To give thanks and pursue prayer unto peace is pleasing to God. Seek to please God first and foremost. Everything that pleases God is also a blessing to humanity. He knows what's best for us. HE is best for us. To please God is to participate in and enjoy God's pleasure. And there is no better pleasure than God's pleasure. It's not a matter of Him getting His or me getting mine. It isn't either-or; it's both-and.
To grasp and apply this requires humility. The proud will be thankful but never give thanks. The proud will pursue their selfish desires and do whatever it takes to attain them. The proud will continue to quarrel and fight and wage war. And God will oppose the proud but give grace to the humble. The humble will pray and prioritize the pleasure of God. They will draw near to God, and God will draw near to them. They shall be the friends of God.
Pray: God of grace and all good gifts, humble me. Remove every bit of self-centeredness from me and every tendency to fight for my own self-satisfaction. Make me a prayer warrior. And make me a pleasure for You to behold. And thank you, my Father. Thank you for everything You have blessed me with. You are generous beyond description.
November 19 - James 2:18-3:18 - Exhibits A, B, and C
Simon Greenleaf (1783-1853), one of the principle founders of Harvard Law School is the author of the classic “Treatise on the Law of Evidence.” Greenleaf also endeavored to disprove the biblical testimony concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He was certain that a careful examination of the internal witness of the Gospels would dispel the ‘myths’ of Christianity. But this brilliant legal scholar came to the conclusion that the witnesses were reliable, and that the resurrection did in fact happen. Afterward, Greenleaf wrote “Testimony of the Evangelists” and served for many years as the president of the Massachusetts Bible Society.
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| Simon Greenleaf |
Evidence is important in legal proceedings and in how we proceed with our faith. In today’s text, James contrasts professed faith and faith in action. He comes to the conclusion that faith must manifest itself in action, otherwise it is dead. If a body has life, there will be evidence – warmth, breathing, a pulse, movement. Where there is no evidence commensurate with our testimony, no integrity of our walk with our talk, we have a corpse; a faith cadaver. The evidence is in our actions. Our deeds put the warmth and the breath and the pulse into our faith. Faith and deeds work together – faith informing the actions and the actions completing the faith. They are inseparable.
What sort of evidence are you setting before the world that demonstrates your faith and argues for the truth and acceptance of it? James refers to several exhibits we could produce as evidence of a living faith:
Exhibit A – Obedience. There are many imperatives in the Bible, a good many of them universal; applying not only to the original hearers, but to all who hear them. We can approach these commands as opportunities to demonstrate our faith. As James wrote earlier in the book, “Be doers of the Word and not hearers only.” If God’s Word constructs a platform that we say we trust, then we must go stand on it. Has He told us to pray, to study, to love, to make disciples? Then what are we waiting for? Exhibit obedience!
Exhibit B – Control of the Tongue. What picturesque speech James finds for the power of the tongue! It is a wild horse in need of taming. It is a small rudder that turns great ships. It is a spark that sets a whole forest ablaze. This power is exceptionally difficult to harness and control. But it must be attempted. Our tongue can reveal our faith in a holy and blessed God through wholesome and encouraging speech. As the Psalmist wrote, “May the words of my mouth … be acceptable in your sight, O Lord …” Ps. 19:14
Exhibit C – Humble Wisdom. The wisdom of the world supports the pursuits of envy and selfish ambition. But the Word says these will only produce disorder and all sorts of evil practices. The wisdom that is divine values humility and exhibits itself in purity, mercy, sincerity, and peacemaking. What sort of wisdom do we function with?
There is the old challenge, “If you were arrested and put on trial, accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” Is there enough ‘deed’ in your life to show that your ‘faith’ is real? What is your Exhibit A?
Pray: Holy Lord, help me to complete my faith by living it out, demonstrating each point of my theology with a solid action. Help me with my integrity. Save me from hypocrisy. Grant my faith a warm glow, a deep breath, and a steady pulse.
November 18 - James 1:19-2:17 - Go With the Flow
Have you heard of this? From the British publication 'The Telegraph'...
Undersea river discovered flowing on sea bed
Photo: University of Leeds
The undersea river, which is up to 115ft deep in places, even has rapids and waterfalls much like its terrestrial equivalents.
If found on land, scientists estimate it would be the world's sixth largest river in terms of the amount of water flowing through it.
Pretty cool! I've heard of rivers that flow underground, but rivers that flow underwater?!
As I re-read the first chapter of James, I'm beginning to think this underwater river thing could be a metaphor for his writing. At first run through, it looks like James is tossing up waves of New Testament wisdom almost like the book of Proverbs, where the topics change quickly from one to another. But underneath James' "sea" of content there is a "river" of logic. I'm sensing a thread of reason that might be flowing through the flow. Here's how I'm connecting it ...
We should be quick to listen and slow to speak.
We should especially be quick to listen to and receive the Word of God.
We should not only listen to the Word, but we should do it.
We should not only listen and do, we should look intently into the Word on our own to do it.
And when we do it, it should look like compassionate ethical action and not just "religion."
And when we act, there should be no favoritism in our actions.
And when we act, they should be acts rich in mercy.
And when we act in this way, we prove our faith to be genuine;
Pure faith, acceptable to God, not dead religionism.
We should especially be quick to listen to and receive the Word of God.
We should not only listen to the Word, but we should do it.
We should not only listen and do, we should look intently into the Word on our own to do it.
And when we do it, it should look like compassionate ethical action and not just "religion."
And when we act, there should be no favoritism in our actions.
And when we act, they should be acts rich in mercy.
And when we act in this way, we prove our faith to be genuine;
Pure faith, acceptable to God, not dead religionism.
What is intriguing to me about this, even more intriguing than the discovery of an undersea river with rapids and waterfalls, is that a pure and acceptable faith begins with the ability to be quiet. What a challenge in the media-overload world we live in. Do we have the discipline to switch off our iPod, our iPhone and our iPad and be still? Do we have the restraint to keep from emulating the pantheon of talking heads, shock jocks, radio ranters, political commentators, stand-up comedians, etc.? How do we get to "slow to speak" in a world that speaks faster and more frequently than ever?
To navigate the rapids of a river that flows to true faith, we would be wise to develop the discipline of silence. Put yourself regularly in a place where the heartbeat of God is the only sound around. Like the submarine that photographed the sub-marine river --
run silent and run deep.
run silent and run deep.
Pray: Help me, Lord. I'm battered in a tumult of noise. Help me to submerge beneath the crashing chaos. Let the storm of words rage on above me as I sink deep into the calm of Your presence, Spirit and Word. Buoy me and carry me all the way to pure and acceptable faith.
November 17 - James 1:1-18 - You Can’t Stay Young, but You Can Live Forever
Since the post-World War II era, the American emphasis has been on youth. The birth of Rock and Roll, the automobile culture, and the challenge to authority all indicated that 16-26 was the age to be. “Cool” was the new highest priced commodity. Consumer marketing turned vigorously in this direction. And it seems the wave is yet to crest. Baby boomers are spending like crazy now on remedies for aging, working out, getting injected, and having surgery. All because it isn’t cool to be old. Wouldn’t it be great if folks started trading in some of their cool for a much more needful commodity – wisdom?
The book of James is a New Testament wisdom book. And the thing is, Biblical wisdom often runs against the grain of conventional wisdom. So to really live as wise in this world, we must live above and beyond the world. There are those who do not seek wisdom, there are those who have a natural wisdom that manages itself in this world, and there are those who pursue supernatural wisdom. Let us be among the latter.
Right off the top, James introduces us to the other-worldly nature of divine wisdom. “Consider it pure joy … whenever you face trials …” The joy of trials?! The mind of youth says, “Joy is avoiding and having no trials.” Conventional wisdom says, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” But supernatural wisdom says, “Count your many, diverse hardships as pure joy.” God’s wisdom always looks beyond the now and the feeling – unlike youth. It goes beyond the stoic acceptance of circumstances. It understands that there’s a living God, who can work all things together for good; who has begun a good work in us and is committed to finishing it (not just bringing it to an end, but bringing it to complete perfection.)
Our trials become a means to maturity in the hands and under the wisdom of God. That’s why we rejoice in them. As in a previous blog regarding the twelfth chapter of Hebrews, let us consider the chisel of God in shaping us into masterpieces of faith. Trials become the Divine strokes of the Ultimate Sculptor for those who have His wisdom. And the acquisition of this superior wisdom is simple. Ask for it. James encourages us with the character of God – “[He] gives generously to all without finding fault.” Ask, believing! Youth serum and plastic surgery are not the great gifts to the world in our time; the great gifts come from above, from the Father of the heavens. And after saving grace, wisdom may be the greatest.
Pray: Generous Father, grant me a fresh dose of Your wisdom. As I grow older, help me to accept my fading youth, as it is fading into something better – spiritual maturity. Help me to persevere under trial, that it’s work would be made complete in me, and the true crown of everlasting life would settle upon my head.
November 16 - Hebrews 13:1-25 - Kneading Our Knowing into Doing
On my recent trip to Anchorage, AK, there was sort of a theme that emerged. It had to do with 'dough.' My granddaughter Mckenzie is a fussy eater, but she does like pizza. Which, if you live in Anchorage, demands a visit to Moose's Tooth. I must admit - and I have eaten NY pizza at a trat in the Bronx, Chicago deep-dish pizza in Chicago (OK, the airport), and California haute-cuisine pizza in Marin - the best pizza of all is at Moose's Tooth! Me and Mckenzie enjoyed that doughy crust together. When we got home, her Mom wanted to serve us fresh cinnamon-raisin toast for breakfast, so she got out the bread machine. Mckenzie and I had fun looking down through the glass top and watching the kneading process. Go, dough, go! And then there was the obsession; the addiction. Mckenzie is hooked on playdoh. Her 'Ba' (that's Kenzie-speak for her maternal grandmother) had sent me up with six little tubs of 'doh, and that's all she wrote. Kenzie approached me every day, sometimes twice a day, leading me by the index finger to the dining room table, repeating "doh? doh? doh?" We worked it for hours!
Perhaps one of the more difficult aspects of the Christian life is working our theology into practice. Kneading what we know into 'doing-dough. ' Our daughters heard their Mom say about a kajillion times the phrase that may end up as her epitaph, "Knowing and Doing are Two Different Things!" We remind our kids of their principles and responsibilities and they answer, "I know! I know!" Enter the aforementioned proverbial phrase. Most of the New Testament epistles are structured as a diptych with theology appearing at the start of the letters and practices/ applications following in the last half. Today's text is chock full of exhortations to practice the faith.
I count sixteen ways to knead our faith into action. I'll comment on a few. First, there's the one about entertaining strangers. The possibility noted is that we may "entertain angels without knowing it." True, angels are spiritual beings, but the word literally means "messenger." Sometimes God doesn't send us 'Gabriel-in-disguise,' He just sends us a stranger who, if we will be kind and accepting of them, will have a message for us from the Lord. I wonder how many times God attempted to talk to me through the words of a stranger, but I was dismissive or careless of them? If my theology is that God speaks and can do so in a myriad of ways, then my practice should be to pay attention - even to strangers.
We frequently speak our theology by declaring that God will never leave us or forsake us. But rarely do we recall it's antecedent in the text - "Keep your lives free from the love of money ... because God has said, 'Never will I leave you ...'" The Lord is saying that His presence with us is money in the bank. God's support of us is true and lasting. Cash is a fickle lover. It will leave you flat! If you had to choose between telling money to "take a hike" or telling God to "take a hike," which would you pick? Practice this one in these hard economic times.
Last reflection for now - how does the phrase, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever" flow with the text around it? Does it come out of the exhortation to imitate the faith of our spiritual leaders? Or does it begin the warning to resist adopting strange teachings? The NIV suggests the former with its placement of the paragraph break. But a case could be made for the latter. Why don't you chew on that one, and let me know how you work the theology of the phrase into the pratices of the surrounding verses.
There are twelve other practices mentioned, and that's not an exhaustive list. There's a lot to this walking with Jesus Christ! At least we have the hope of the Hebrews benediction: "May the God of peace ... equip you with everything good for doing His will..."
Pray: Yes, Lord, equip me. I don't just want to be a Jesus scholar; I want to please You in all that I do. Help me to avoid hypocrisy, and let my theology and practice, my talk and my walk, match up.
PS For all you list makers, here are the sixteen imperatives ...
Keep loving each other
Entertain strangers
Remember those in prison
Empathize with the mistreated
Honor marriage
Shun sexual immorality
Don't idolize money
Consider and imitate the faith of spiritual leaders
Don't get caught up in strange teachings
Avoid religionism
Carry the gospel to a persecuting world
Lift up praises to God
Do good to others
Share with others
Submit to appropriate authority
Pray
Perhaps one of the more difficult aspects of the Christian life is working our theology into practice. Kneading what we know into 'doing-dough. ' Our daughters heard their Mom say about a kajillion times the phrase that may end up as her epitaph, "Knowing and Doing are Two Different Things!" We remind our kids of their principles and responsibilities and they answer, "I know! I know!" Enter the aforementioned proverbial phrase. Most of the New Testament epistles are structured as a diptych with theology appearing at the start of the letters and practices/ applications following in the last half. Today's text is chock full of exhortations to practice the faith.
I count sixteen ways to knead our faith into action. I'll comment on a few. First, there's the one about entertaining strangers. The possibility noted is that we may "entertain angels without knowing it." True, angels are spiritual beings, but the word literally means "messenger." Sometimes God doesn't send us 'Gabriel-in-disguise,' He just sends us a stranger who, if we will be kind and accepting of them, will have a message for us from the Lord. I wonder how many times God attempted to talk to me through the words of a stranger, but I was dismissive or careless of them? If my theology is that God speaks and can do so in a myriad of ways, then my practice should be to pay attention - even to strangers.
We frequently speak our theology by declaring that God will never leave us or forsake us. But rarely do we recall it's antecedent in the text - "Keep your lives free from the love of money ... because God has said, 'Never will I leave you ...'" The Lord is saying that His presence with us is money in the bank. God's support of us is true and lasting. Cash is a fickle lover. It will leave you flat! If you had to choose between telling money to "take a hike" or telling God to "take a hike," which would you pick? Practice this one in these hard economic times.
Last reflection for now - how does the phrase, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever" flow with the text around it? Does it come out of the exhortation to imitate the faith of our spiritual leaders? Or does it begin the warning to resist adopting strange teachings? The NIV suggests the former with its placement of the paragraph break. But a case could be made for the latter. Why don't you chew on that one, and let me know how you work the theology of the phrase into the pratices of the surrounding verses.
There are twelve other practices mentioned, and that's not an exhaustive list. There's a lot to this walking with Jesus Christ! At least we have the hope of the Hebrews benediction: "May the God of peace ... equip you with everything good for doing His will..."
Pray: Yes, Lord, equip me. I don't just want to be a Jesus scholar; I want to please You in all that I do. Help me to avoid hypocrisy, and let my theology and practice, my talk and my walk, match up.
PS For all you list makers, here are the sixteen imperatives ...
Keep loving each other
Entertain strangers
Remember those in prison
Empathize with the mistreated
Honor marriage
Shun sexual immorality
Don't idolize money
Consider and imitate the faith of spiritual leaders
Don't get caught up in strange teachings
Avoid religionism
Carry the gospel to a persecuting world
Lift up praises to God
Do good to others
Share with others
Submit to appropriate authority
Pray
November 15 - Hebrews 12:14-29 - What is This Church Coming To?
Sandie and I and the Armstrongs were headed down CA 4 to Concord Korean Church for the night of student presentations in the CLD Bible Teaching class. We were following printed directions, but the sun had already gone down which made it difficult to see inside the car. Once on Highway 4, I reached up and turned the overhead light on to read the next instruction. I recited "take Pacheco Road Exit" just as Pacheco Road exit passed us by on the right. Too late. We could u-turn at the next exit and try to hit it again, but traffic on the other side of 4 was all jammed up. I grabbed my iPhone and put in the address to Concord Korean and GPS did the rest. We got our alternate route and barely missed a beat. In the "old days" it would have been read the map by flashlight and who knows where we would come to.
The author of Hebrews 12 tells us as followers of Christ, as people of 'the Way,' as pursuers of His path, where we will come to. We will come ...
to The heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the Living God.
to Thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly.
to The church of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven.
to God, the judge of all men.
to The spirits of righteous men made perfect.
to Jesus the Mediator of a new covenant.
to The sprinkled Blood that speaks a supreme word.
to The unshakable Kingdom.
Wow! What a destination! And the way to arrive is only via GPS - God's Precious Son; God's Propitiating Sacrifice; God's Perfect Solution; God's Promised Salvation! "Be thankful," the text says. "Worship God in an acceptable manner, that is, with reverence and awe." If you're never lost because of GPS and you thank God for your Garmin, how much more should we be thankful for the 'Great Personal Sacrifice' that will transport us all the way to glory?
Since our destination is sure, how shall we act along the road? On the way to heaven, how shall we live? The author has some instructions for that -- "See to it that no bitter root grows up among you," See to it that no one is sexually immoral," "See to it that no one is godless." "See to it that you live in peace with all people," "See to it that you pursue holiness," and most of all "See to it that no one misses the grace of God!"
Don't let anyone miss Him. Don't let anyone remain lost when you know the way and what it all comes to.
Pray: Thank you, Lord, for the amazing glimpses of our promised eternal destination. Help me to live in such a way as to reflect the glory of the Kingdom to come. Jesus, guide every lost soul to the threshold of heaven and carry them over by Your cross.
The author of Hebrews 12 tells us as followers of Christ, as people of 'the Way,' as pursuers of His path, where we will come to. We will come ...
to The heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the Living God.
to Thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly.
to The church of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven.
to God, the judge of all men.
to The spirits of righteous men made perfect.
to Jesus the Mediator of a new covenant.
to The sprinkled Blood that speaks a supreme word.
to The unshakable Kingdom.
Wow! What a destination! And the way to arrive is only via GPS - God's Precious Son; God's Propitiating Sacrifice; God's Perfect Solution; God's Promised Salvation! "Be thankful," the text says. "Worship God in an acceptable manner, that is, with reverence and awe." If you're never lost because of GPS and you thank God for your Garmin, how much more should we be thankful for the 'Great Personal Sacrifice' that will transport us all the way to glory?
Since our destination is sure, how shall we act along the road? On the way to heaven, how shall we live? The author has some instructions for that -- "See to it that no bitter root grows up among you," See to it that no one is sexually immoral," "See to it that no one is godless." "See to it that you live in peace with all people," "See to it that you pursue holiness," and most of all "See to it that no one misses the grace of God!"
Don't let anyone miss Him. Don't let anyone remain lost when you know the way and what it all comes to.
Pray: Thank you, Lord, for the amazing glimpses of our promised eternal destination. Help me to live in such a way as to reflect the glory of the Kingdom to come. Jesus, guide every lost soul to the threshold of heaven and carry them over by Your cross.
November 14 - Hebrews 11:32-12:13 - The Joy that Sustains Endurance
A lover of fine art lived in a small town in the Italian countryside. Two barns stood out back of his humble cottage, one serving as a storage shed and the other, renovated into a gallery. One day, the owner of that tiny gallery made an extraordinary discovery. A superb example of marble sculpture was unearthed on his property. He cleaned it carefully and set it up at the center of his showplace. Many visitors came and were thrilled to see this exquisite and timeless masterpiece. After several years on display, it became clear that the statue was buckling the floor of the gallery. The pillars and joists beneath the weight of solid marble were threatening to fail and put the masterwork in danger. Two options presented themselves. The statue could be removed to the only place barely large enough to accommodate it, the storage shed, and thus spare the gallery floor. Or, the gallery floor could be reinforced to sustain the weight of the marble. Moving the statue to the shed would cost nothing – except that the beauty and inspiration of that work of art could no longer be seen. The reinforcement of the floor would be costly and laborious and force the closure of the gallery for a period of time; significant sacrifices. As you might anticipate, the gallery owner sacrificed time, labor, and finances to preserve his ability to display the masterwork.
Today’s text stretches across two chapters and might appear to treat of two separate topics. I believe it all fits together around the masterwork of faith that Christ is chiseling out of the marble of our lives. Jesus initiated and will complete His faith sculpture – He is “the author and perfecter of our faith.” On either side of this statement at 12:2, are descriptions of painful struggles and hardships. Chapter 11 ends with a litany of torturous conditions endured by past heroes of the faith. In chapter 12, verses 4 and following, the present struggles of the author’s audience are alluded to. And yet, through all of it, the concept of victory is invoked. Those who were tortured in the past endured by faith, and have become that great cloud of witnesses. Jesus is then presented as the ultimate victor, having endured and triumphed over the cross. And so the encouragement for the text’s original readers and for us is this – hardship is permitted by the Divine Sculptor to produce a masterpiece of faith. The author calls this God’s discipline. Our persecutors, our broken world, the devil himself may mean to make us suffer, but God will turn it into discipline resulting in victory.
The key for us is the secret of joy. “Fix your eyes on Jesus,” the Master Artist, who was once a block of marble like you. “Fix your eyes on Jesus,” the one who suffered the ultimate hardship and torture, and yet maintained His discipline and endured unto victory. “Fix your eyes on Jesus … who for the JOY set before Him, endured the cross.” There’s the secret! Was there hardship before Him? Yes. Was there torture and suffering before Him? A humiliating, life-sapping cross? Dear God, yes! But where were His eyes fixed?
A joy was set before Jesus that captured His concentration. The cross loomed, but He looked right through it to the joy. Jesus endured the cross because He had fixed His eyes on the joy of becoming a masterwork of faith and on the fullness of joy that would come to all who placed their faith in Him.
When sufferings and trials come, two options will present themselves - to pray for the burden to be removed, or to pray for reinforcement to stand up under their weight. Choose the trial and the reinforcement, which is the transforming discipline of God. And as you choose the chisel, fix your eyes on Jesus, the Joy, the Victor, the Masterpiece. He is sculpting you in His image.
Pray: Discipline me, try me, prove me, shape me, Master. You authored my faith, now finish it. Whatever it takes to chip away what is not of your divine design for me – do it. I want to experience the heights of joy.
November 13 - Hebrews 11:17-31 - Mirror, Mirror ...
It is rare that you or I go through a single day without encountering a mirror. It is that necessary evil, waiting each morning to reflect back to me just how awful I look first moment out of bed. But then it becomes helpful, guiding, as I work the weird part and cowlicks out of my hair and shave gingerly below my nostrils. Finally looking good enough to venture out among the public, I encounter more mirrors – in my car. These are probably the most necessary and useful mirrors in my possession. While I work to maneuver 3,000 lbs. of lethal machine, these mirrors allow me to see all around it. Most of my maneuvers are successful thanks to my mirrors. With them I can see backward and forward at the same time.
Spiritually speaking, faith allows me to see backward and forward at the same time. Hebrews 11, the 'faith chapter', records the faithful actions of past heroes. We are inspired by their victories, results of their trust in God, His character and His Word. And as these acts of trust were responses to divine revelations, we understand our forebears as looking backward to the prior promise or instruction, and forward to the indicated reward.
Abraham received a promise in the past through a miraculous gift, his son Isaac, and so was fortified to exercise faith in sacrificing that same son. God’s former instruction to Moses to lead His people out of Egypt and the future vision of deliverance into a promised land steeled Moses’ faith. There were pleasures of sin for Moses in Egypt, but instead he persevered in faith. “He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”
There are still a lot of “treasures in Egypt.” There is still time to “enjoy the pleasures of sin.” These are the temptations that surround us and attempt to seduce us every day. And Satan is the master of the Funhouse Mirror, distorting reality and casting an image that entertains but at the same time lies. Only the Word of God portrays reality accurately and reflects the requirements and rewards of faithful obedience.
All seven examples in today’s text display people who mirrored the character of God. And in so doing, help us to see backward and forward at the same time. Backward to the ancient yet timeless truths and promises of God, and forward to the rewards secured by those promises -- by the God who can be nothing else but faithful.
Pray: Faithful Father, help me to be a faithful reflection of your character, trusting Your power to pull me through, acting each day according to Your purposes, sensitive to reflect well on Your reputation and fame in this world. There ARE pleasures in sin, but they are short-lived. The real joy is in my victories of faith in Christ Jesus.
November 12 - Hebrews 11:1-16 - How To See the Unseen and Believe
During my stay in Alaska, we drove down the Seward Highway, tracking with the railroad along the coast of the Chugach National Forest. At the place where Turnagain Arm gets really narrow there's a trail head with wonderful amenities - plenty of paved parking, picnic benches with coal grills, sturdy planked boardwalks to get you started into the forest and beside the roaring waterfall. The Chugach is a forest that yields to a range of snowy mountain peaks. But that day, I just had to take my daughter's word for it. The cloud ceiling was so low that it obscured the timberline. There was no way to know that those pines and birches fell away to display rugged black ridges framed in white.
The definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1 is frequently quoted, and yet it can be misunderstood. In the New International Version of the text, the last phrase is "certain of what we do not see." How can that thing that cannot be seen be so clear and compelling in my mind that I can assert with boldness that it exists? The first phrase of this definition of faith is, "being sure of what we hope for." Can we be sure of whatever we hope for? Can we just conjure up an image of a preferred future and be sure that it will arrive? With 'faith' can I be certain of anything I can imagine? Is it the strength of my 'faith' that makes it so? Is faith the power that makes any dream a reality?
Some folks say the answer to those questions is "Yes!" Conceive it, believe it, achieve it - that's the non-Biblical concept of faith. You have the power to believe anything, and by the strength of that belief, pursue and obtain the object of your faith. That is not what Hebrews 11 is saying.
Like mountains I could not see, but believed were there, I based my faith on the word of my daughter. I trust her, so I trust her word, and believed in that which she described for me. We see what is unseen by putting our faith in the description of the one who HAS seen it. The writer of Hebrews himself, along with his list of Biblical stand-outs, are demonstrating faith in a hope that God has revealed; an unseen future that God has cast a vision of by His Word. Biblical faith refers to trusting God at His Word, not convincing ourselves that we will achieve our own imagined desires.
Look at all the references to God's Word in the text: verse 3 - "the universe was formed at God's command;" verse 4 - "God spoke well of [Abel's] offering;" verse 7 - "Noah, when warned about things not yet seen;" verse 8 - "Abraham, when called to go;" verse 11 - "[Abraham] considered [God] faithful who had made the promise." This entire "faith chapter" is about illustrating conviction and certainty in the Word of God. We don't conjure and imagine as the prerequisite to exercising faith, we read and listen for the realities that God would describe to us and we put our faith in them. In Him.
There are mountains up there above the clouds. There is hope for eternal life. There is a heavenly rest for our souls. There is perfection and joy waiting for us. But it isn't so because I have imagined it so, and desire it so, and am camping out on my vision and "that's my story and I'm sticking to it." It is so because God said so. I don't trust my imagination. I don't have Creator-power to make something out of nothing. Only God can do that. Trust Him.
Pray: Maker of heaven and earth, You are the source of truth and the source of all that is and ever will be. Help me to know You through knowing your Word. Help me to trust you and place my faith fully in you. Your Word is full of love and hope and blessing; it is not a burden or a risk to trust you. It is a delight.
The definition of faith in Hebrews 11:1 is frequently quoted, and yet it can be misunderstood. In the New International Version of the text, the last phrase is "certain of what we do not see." How can that thing that cannot be seen be so clear and compelling in my mind that I can assert with boldness that it exists? The first phrase of this definition of faith is, "being sure of what we hope for." Can we be sure of whatever we hope for? Can we just conjure up an image of a preferred future and be sure that it will arrive? With 'faith' can I be certain of anything I can imagine? Is it the strength of my 'faith' that makes it so? Is faith the power that makes any dream a reality?
Some folks say the answer to those questions is "Yes!" Conceive it, believe it, achieve it - that's the non-Biblical concept of faith. You have the power to believe anything, and by the strength of that belief, pursue and obtain the object of your faith. That is not what Hebrews 11 is saying.
Like mountains I could not see, but believed were there, I based my faith on the word of my daughter. I trust her, so I trust her word, and believed in that which she described for me. We see what is unseen by putting our faith in the description of the one who HAS seen it. The writer of Hebrews himself, along with his list of Biblical stand-outs, are demonstrating faith in a hope that God has revealed; an unseen future that God has cast a vision of by His Word. Biblical faith refers to trusting God at His Word, not convincing ourselves that we will achieve our own imagined desires.
Look at all the references to God's Word in the text: verse 3 - "the universe was formed at God's command;" verse 4 - "God spoke well of [Abel's] offering;" verse 7 - "Noah, when warned about things not yet seen;" verse 8 - "Abraham, when called to go;" verse 11 - "[Abraham] considered [God] faithful who had made the promise." This entire "faith chapter" is about illustrating conviction and certainty in the Word of God. We don't conjure and imagine as the prerequisite to exercising faith, we read and listen for the realities that God would describe to us and we put our faith in them. In Him.
There are mountains up there above the clouds. There is hope for eternal life. There is a heavenly rest for our souls. There is perfection and joy waiting for us. But it isn't so because I have imagined it so, and desire it so, and am camping out on my vision and "that's my story and I'm sticking to it." It is so because God said so. I don't trust my imagination. I don't have Creator-power to make something out of nothing. Only God can do that. Trust Him.
Pray: Maker of heaven and earth, You are the source of truth and the source of all that is and ever will be. Help me to know You through knowing your Word. Help me to trust you and place my faith fully in you. Your Word is full of love and hope and blessing; it is not a burden or a risk to trust you. It is a delight.
November 11 - Hebrews 10:18-39 - Five Kinds of "Let Us"
When I was a kid, lettuce was lettuce. My Mom can correct me, but as far as I can remember she only used Iceberg lettuce in our salads. When anybody said "lettuce," that's what I understood them to mean - Iceberg.
Then I got older, and started shopping for myself and wandering down the produce aisle. Hey! What is this Romaine stuff? It's what? Lettuce? There's more than one lettuce? Wow! Arugula, Radicchio, Boston, Mesclun, Mizuna ... Leave it to the Lord to be generous even in the lettuce department.
Today's text is pretty generous, too, in the "Let Us" department. Five times in four verses, the author rallies us to action in light of having an amazing Savior. Jesus has made a way for us into the eternal presence of our God. With such a certain path to future glory, we should be sure to act in the present, thus ...
LET US - draw near to God with a sincere heart.
LET US - hold unswervingly to the hope we profess
LET US - spur one another on to love & good deeds
LET US - not give up meeting together
LET US - encourage one another
Sometimes working and dealing with others within the body of Christ can become frustrating and discouraging. We are a tossed salad of sorts - so much diversity; so many differences to blend. Unfortunately, the challenge of serving with folks who are not like us can lead to conflict and controversy, and leave a bad taste in our mouth. The author of Hebrews addresses five issues that appear to be related to discouragement. When we get wounded in the church, the temptation is to withdraw and not to reconcile. Once discouraged, we drift -- away from God, away from hope, away from love and good deeds, away from fellowship, away from positive words.
The mixture of Jews and Gentiles in the early church presented many possibilities for misunderstanding and conflict. The persecution from without the church added another layer of oppression and cause for losing heart. But a fresh spin of their attention off of their crises and onto their Christ could pump new life into the crest-fallen congregation.
We have an accessible God! We have an unshakable hope! We have love and goodness to spare! We have the strength of Spiritual unity! We have truth to speak to trials! We have all of this because we have Jesus Christ. LET US rejoice! And Let Us ...
Pray: Jesus, how generous You are, to have spilled your blood and atoned for our sins once and for all! Help me to keep my eyes on you, my Savior, and not on my circumstances. Yes, I will always have some kind of obstacle, conflict or crisis to deal with, but I don't ever have to doubt You or your Word. Help me to persevere and do your will and receive what You have promised.
Then I got older, and started shopping for myself and wandering down the produce aisle. Hey! What is this Romaine stuff? It's what? Lettuce? There's more than one lettuce? Wow! Arugula, Radicchio, Boston, Mesclun, Mizuna ... Leave it to the Lord to be generous even in the lettuce department.
Today's text is pretty generous, too, in the "Let Us" department. Five times in four verses, the author rallies us to action in light of having an amazing Savior. Jesus has made a way for us into the eternal presence of our God. With such a certain path to future glory, we should be sure to act in the present, thus ...
LET US - draw near to God with a sincere heart.
LET US - hold unswervingly to the hope we profess
LET US - spur one another on to love & good deeds
LET US - not give up meeting together
LET US - encourage one another
Sometimes working and dealing with others within the body of Christ can become frustrating and discouraging. We are a tossed salad of sorts - so much diversity; so many differences to blend. Unfortunately, the challenge of serving with folks who are not like us can lead to conflict and controversy, and leave a bad taste in our mouth. The author of Hebrews addresses five issues that appear to be related to discouragement. When we get wounded in the church, the temptation is to withdraw and not to reconcile. Once discouraged, we drift -- away from God, away from hope, away from love and good deeds, away from fellowship, away from positive words.
The mixture of Jews and Gentiles in the early church presented many possibilities for misunderstanding and conflict. The persecution from without the church added another layer of oppression and cause for losing heart. But a fresh spin of their attention off of their crises and onto their Christ could pump new life into the crest-fallen congregation.
We have an accessible God! We have an unshakable hope! We have love and goodness to spare! We have the strength of Spiritual unity! We have truth to speak to trials! We have all of this because we have Jesus Christ. LET US rejoice! And Let Us ...
Pray: Jesus, how generous You are, to have spilled your blood and atoned for our sins once and for all! Help me to keep my eyes on you, my Savior, and not on my circumstances. Yes, I will always have some kind of obstacle, conflict or crisis to deal with, but I don't ever have to doubt You or your Word. Help me to persevere and do your will and receive what You have promised.
November 10 - Hebrews 10:1-17 - On Their Minds and Out of Mine
15 The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds."
17 Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”
Author's Note: I'm back from Alaska, having had a delightful time with daughter, son-in-law, and the greatest grandchildren in the world! I have experienced love at a whole new level. Back to blogging on the 'morrow.
16 “This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds."
17 Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”
Author's Note: I'm back from Alaska, having had a delightful time with daughter, son-in-law, and the greatest grandchildren in the world! I have experienced love at a whole new level. Back to blogging on the 'morrow.
November 9 - Hebrews 9: 11-28 - Sin Taken Out, Salvation Brought In
27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
November 8 - Hebrews 9:1-10 - The Temporary Give Glimpses of the Eternal
2 A tabernacle was set up. In its first room were the lampstand and the table with its consecrated bread; this was called the Holy Place. 3 Behind the second curtain was a room called the Most Holy Place, 4 which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant. 5 Above the ark were the cherubim of the Glory, overshadowing the atonement cover.
November 7 - Hebrews 8:1-13 - Honor Beside the Throne
1 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2 There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.
November 6 - Hebrews 7:18-28 - Forever in 4D
24 But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.
November 5 - Hebrews 7:1-17 - King of Justice, King of Peace
The name Melchizedek means “king of justice,” and king of Salem means “king of peace.” 3 There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God.
November 4 - Hebrews 6:1-20 - A Strong and Trustworthy Anchor
17 God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind. 18 So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.
Author's Note: The following week's worth of posts will be Scripture portions for you to meditate on and perhaps to share your insights about in the "comments" section. I will be traveling to Alaska to visit my granddaughters (one of which I have yet to meet in person) and I'm sure I will find it difficult to pull myself away from their sweetness. The blog is yours!
Author's Note: The following week's worth of posts will be Scripture portions for you to meditate on and perhaps to share your insights about in the "comments" section. I will be traveling to Alaska to visit my granddaughters (one of which I have yet to meet in person) and I'm sure I will find it difficult to pull myself away from their sweetness. The blog is yours!
November 3 - Hebrews 5:1-14 - No Meat on Baby’s Menu
When my wife and I go out to eat at a new restaurant, we have very different approaches to the menu. I go to a new restaurant to try something new. I will look for an entree on the menu that I have never eaten before. If I steer away from the few items on my personal “nasty list” – strong cheeses, Brussels sprouts, and cream sauce – I usually have a very nice dining experience, in spite of the risk. Sandie is not a risk taker in this situation. If she likes the ambience and the wait staff and the prices, she will also want to like her meal. So, she will look for something on the menu that is familiar; a standard; predictable. If she ends up with something hard to swallow, having to pay for it will be really hard to swallow.
Looking at today’s chapter in Hebrews, I see spiritual truths described as menu items. There are the milky items and the meaty items. Like physical food, spiritual truths are palatable and digestible according to the development of the eater. Infants drink milk. The mature eat meat. It takes some growing up to be able to wield a knife and fork well, and to be able to chew and swallow something of substance. Slicing up God’s Word carefully, breaking it down and digesting it also takes some maturity. Unfortunately, many prefer not to grow up in their faith. The author writes, “though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths … all over again.” You need milk, not meat!
If you haven’t already done so, set your bib and your Peter Pan booties aside, and make a commitment to grow up. Make up your mind to master the milk and then the meal and then the meat. Each stage provides preparation and strength for the next. Knowledge leads to wisdom and discernment. Then our efforts become Kingdom-effective and truly Christ-like. Let’s look at a few truths in the text that are hard to swallow for the infant, but manageable for the mature.
The mature are able to deal gently with those whose weaknesses are showing, because they are sensitive to their own weaknesses. The immature deny their own weaknesses and have little patience for those they see as faulty. They try to mask their weakness by coming on strong with others. How far grown are you with this truth? Are you milky or meaty?
Next, the text reveals that the mature do not take for themselves the honor of leadership among God’s people; they must be called by God. Some pursue leadership in the church as a privileged position, but pride and true piety do not mix. The mature are humbled by the honor to serve God and His people, carefully administering grace as representatives of Christ. How do you fare on the maturity scale with this menu item?
Some of the harder truths to explain, and thus to swallow, are those related to Jesus, the God-man. His incarnation is a mystery at many points. How is it that He is God and yet cries out in prayer with tears? How is it that He must learn obedience through suffering? These concepts challenge well-developed minds, much more the elementary thinker. Hopefully we see in these mysteries the models for our own behavior – the need to submit with reverence to God, to channel our passions in prayer to the One who can satisfy our heart’s cry, and to understand the value of pain in the formation and steeling of our faith.
So, what’s on your menu tonight? Similac? Or steak?
Pray: Lord, help me to grow up. Help me to cooperate with you in the development of my faith. Nourish me, strengthen me. Build me up to serve You, your people and the world well, in the pattern of the perfect man, Jesus Christ. Jesus, you are my model for maturity.
November 2 - Hebrews 4:1-16 - A Constellation of Pearls
It has nothing to do with today’s Scripture text, but congratulations to the San Francisco Giants for winning the World Series. The Giants moved from New York to SF before I learned to walk, and they hadn’t won the Big League Championship since my Mom graduated high school. They had an earthquake in 1989, and a meltdown in 2002, but finally San Francisco has its first World Series winner!
“And now for something completely different...”
The fourth chapter of Hebrews has a number of big ideas, beautiful gems that could easily be explored and appreciated separately -- The idea that God’s Word must be combined with faith for us to arrive at His promised rest; the idea that God’s Word is a living, active, “blade” that cuts to our core and reveals our inner self; and the idea that Jesus was tempted in His humanity in every way as we are, yet sinless and ready to help us in our time of temptation. These are pearls of truth, and I’d like to attempt to string them together. Perhaps I can connect these brilliant stars and produce a spiritual constellation.
Stars were and can still be used as a means of navigation. We can use them to arrive at our desired destination. Today’s text talks about God’s special destination for us. He calls it His ‘Sabbath Rest.’ It is fore- shadowed in the seventh day of creation, where everything is good and God’s work is complete. It is foreshadowed in the Israelites entering
the Promised Land under Joshua (whose name is the Hebrew form of ‘Jesus.’) God’s special destination for us is Heaven. That is the ultimate rest. But the text tells us that just knowing this does not guarantee arrival.
Because I know who Jesus is and that there is a heaven doesn’t guarantee that I will abide there. “The message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard it did not combine it with faith.” The message is that God in Christ loved us and saved us from our sins by His death and resurrection. But to realize the promise of heaven that comes with that good news (that gospel), we must add faith to it. We must believe it. Trust it. Hold fast to it as truth. Not put some of our ‘money’ down on it as a safe bet; but, go ‘all in’ without reservation. “Those who formerly had the gospel preached to them
did not go in, because of their disobedience.”
That last quote is interesting because it reveals that the opposite of faith is not unbelief, it is disobedience. The Word of God lays open the truth about Jesus, and also lays open the hearts of men. The keen, double-edged sword of God’s Word divides soul and spirit and accurately assesses the thoughts and intentions at our center. This Word also divides the path before us. It forks the road. It calls for a decision –
faith or disobedience.
For the one choice to be called ‘disobedience,’ it must be that this Word of God is coming to us in the form of a command and not a question. Not, “Would you like to put your faith in Jesus Christ?” but, “Put your faith in Jesus Christ.” God has the authority to command us. He is our Father with the right to be imperative with His children. Meanwhile, temptation would have us say, “No” to our Father. Temptation is what tells us to buck against God’s authority. It wants to draw us down the other path. It says, "Take the other fork in the road."
Jesus Himself dealt with temptation. As the Father’s will was revealed to Him, even He had to decide to go against it or go the way of obedience; the way of faith. He chose faith. And now He reigns from Heaven.
So the pearls are strung; the stars align in constellation -- The Word reveals the gospel. The gospel promises heaven. But the gospel calls for faith. Temptation calls for disobedience. The road is forked, and a choice must be made. The Word reveals our hearts. Is our heart’s intention to trust God or to entertain temptation? Jesus encountered these forks in the road. He prayed and overcame. In our time of temptation we can pray to Him, and receive grace to choose faith. And if we will, consistently, choose faith, we will arrive at His promised destination.
Use these stars to navigate by. And enter His rest.
Pray: Jesus, I approach your throne of grace with confidence, knowing you will help me in my time of need. I need faith. Show me your heart and mine, that I might make every effort to obey all the way to glory.
“And now for something completely different...”
The fourth chapter of Hebrews has a number of big ideas, beautiful gems that could easily be explored and appreciated separately -- The idea that God’s Word must be combined with faith for us to arrive at His promised rest; the idea that God’s Word is a living, active, “blade” that cuts to our core and reveals our inner self; and the idea that Jesus was tempted in His humanity in every way as we are, yet sinless and ready to help us in our time of temptation. These are pearls of truth, and I’d like to attempt to string them together. Perhaps I can connect these brilliant stars and produce a spiritual constellation.
Stars were and can still be used as a means of navigation. We can use them to arrive at our desired destination. Today’s text talks about God’s special destination for us. He calls it His ‘Sabbath Rest.’ It is fore- shadowed in the seventh day of creation, where everything is good and God’s work is complete. It is foreshadowed in the Israelites entering
the Promised Land under Joshua (whose name is the Hebrew form of ‘Jesus.’) God’s special destination for us is Heaven. That is the ultimate rest. But the text tells us that just knowing this does not guarantee arrival.
Because I know who Jesus is and that there is a heaven doesn’t guarantee that I will abide there. “The message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard it did not combine it with faith.” The message is that God in Christ loved us and saved us from our sins by His death and resurrection. But to realize the promise of heaven that comes with that good news (that gospel), we must add faith to it. We must believe it. Trust it. Hold fast to it as truth. Not put some of our ‘money’ down on it as a safe bet; but, go ‘all in’ without reservation. “Those who formerly had the gospel preached to them
did not go in, because of their disobedience.”
That last quote is interesting because it reveals that the opposite of faith is not unbelief, it is disobedience. The Word of God lays open the truth about Jesus, and also lays open the hearts of men. The keen, double-edged sword of God’s Word divides soul and spirit and accurately assesses the thoughts and intentions at our center. This Word also divides the path before us. It forks the road. It calls for a decision –
faith or disobedience.
For the one choice to be called ‘disobedience,’ it must be that this Word of God is coming to us in the form of a command and not a question. Not, “Would you like to put your faith in Jesus Christ?” but, “Put your faith in Jesus Christ.” God has the authority to command us. He is our Father with the right to be imperative with His children. Meanwhile, temptation would have us say, “No” to our Father. Temptation is what tells us to buck against God’s authority. It wants to draw us down the other path. It says, "Take the other fork in the road."
Jesus Himself dealt with temptation. As the Father’s will was revealed to Him, even He had to decide to go against it or go the way of obedience; the way of faith. He chose faith. And now He reigns from Heaven.
So the pearls are strung; the stars align in constellation -- The Word reveals the gospel. The gospel promises heaven. But the gospel calls for faith. Temptation calls for disobedience. The road is forked, and a choice must be made. The Word reveals our hearts. Is our heart’s intention to trust God or to entertain temptation? Jesus encountered these forks in the road. He prayed and overcame. In our time of temptation we can pray to Him, and receive grace to choose faith. And if we will, consistently, choose faith, we will arrive at His promised destination.
Use these stars to navigate by. And enter His rest.
Pray: Jesus, I approach your throne of grace with confidence, knowing you will help me in my time of need. I need faith. Show me your heart and mine, that I might make every effort to obey all the way to glory.
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